I can't believe I waited so long to get ths one. My tax return was kind to me this year, so it worked out.Anyway, before I dive into the books and get real in depth with her. I usually like to take my new planes for a few touch and gos, low approaches, instrument approaches, etc. So far, I haven't been able to do this successfully, because I haven't figured out how to put the plane into complete manual control. No thrust limiters, no low thrust protections, nothing. Kind of like when you take a car for a test drive, you don't put on cruise control. So, how can I turn all that stuff off?Thank you,Jeff

So you want to fly her like a new Mustang huh?I think there are some protections that cannot be overrode by the crew such as speed protection. Try switching the FADEC switches on the overhead panel to alternate. Yaw dampers and LSAS switches off on the overhead panel. Autopilot override switches to off on the MCP.

At the front of the thrust levers there is a "overpower bar limit" (don't know it's name). press it and you can use emergency power. I am not sure how you can get over the pitch protections but try turning of LSAS. I don't think that you can do much more since it really is a very automated aircraft. But I would be happy to be proven wrong.Manfred

At the front of the thrust levers there is a "overpower bar limit" (don't know it's name). press it and you can use emergency power. I am not sure how you can get over the pitch protections but try turning of LSAS. I don't think that you can do much more since it really is a very automated aircraft. But I would be happy to be proven wrong.Manfred

The "overpower bar limit" is the overboost stop. If you advance the throttles to that limit they will provide you with the appropriate power for a go-around. If you push them further past the stop, you will get the full rated thrust.

Kinda what I meant, but you still have to click the bar on the PMDG.

Hey thanks guys! I will give it another go right after work tomorrow. I get no noticeable drop in performance with this aircraft which is making me very happy as well.

The surest way to turn off all protection is to lower the two autosystem disengage bars right below the "AUTOFLIGHT" button on the MCP....this disables speed protections, LSAS, autopilot, etc etc...if you want to fly it with bare bones, this is the way to go.The "autopilot" disconnect chime might drive you insane though....

Why would it drive you crazy? Press the AP disconnect button again and you'll only hear from Betty once.

If he is only just learning the beast, i daresay, like me, he would not have mapped where the disconnect buttons are.

No worries. The first few times I flew the beast I couldn't figure out how to turn the damn thing off. But you would think that McDonnell Douglas would have figured out that it should only take one "AUTOPILOT" to figure out that the autopilot disconnected...

But you would think that McDonnell Douglas would have figured out that it should only take one "AUTOPILOT" to figure out that the autopilot disconnected...

You'd think, but accidents are where we learn from mistakes and fix them. L1011, Eastern 401, Florida Everglades. AP disco went unnoticed as the crew was distracted at night with a gear light. Because the warning did not persist (and bug the crap out of them), they never checked it and stayed in a shallow descent until impacting the water. 101 dead.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_401

Jeff,just wondering, why would you want to turn off all protections and limiters to fly the MD-11 manually? Just don't engage AP and ATS, that's it! You'll fly it manually, completely! Of course you'll have to stay within the flight envelope, but that's what you do on the real aircraft anyway. And if for some reason you don't want LSAS to interfere at a specific point in your flight, just keep the AP disconnect button pressed while doing that manoeuvre, and then LSAS will re-engage once you release the button.That's it, completely manual.If you still think that's not manual enough, then I guess you'll need to get a plane like the Spitfire from A2A Simulations (with Accusim!)... now THAT is flying without ANY auto-anything :DCheers,Markus

Jeff, just wondering, why would you want to turn off all protections and limiters to fly the MD-11 manually?Cheers,Markus

First, thank you for your response.As to your question, I feel that it helps me get a feel for actually flying the aircraft. Not only that, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but even in the real world (maybe not the airlines, I don't know for sure), but at least the Air Force, you learn to fly aircraft by hand, the use of automatic systems is learned after. In fact, in many airframes pilots are required to perform a certain number of touch and gos and approaches while hand flying the aircraft manually.

First, thank you for your response.As to your question, I feel that it helps me get a feel for actually flying the aircraft. Not only that, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but even in the real world (maybe not the airlines, I don't know for sure), but at least the Air Force, you learn to fly aircraft by hand, the use of automatic systems is learned after. In fact, in many airframes pilots are required to perform a certain number of touch and gos and approaches while hand flying the aircraft manually.

Only to an extent. There is a difference here that I think needs cleared up. There is a difference between "automation (e.g. Autothrottles, AutoPilot Modes) " and "protection systems (Angle of Attack Protection, Bank Limiters, LSAS, etc...)".While hand-flying will consist of automation being disabled (in the real world), you will never disengage the protection systems (i.e. flight envelope protection). For example, in order to do our initial training in the Dassault Falcon 7X you have to actually disable (actively fail) 2 of the 3 Air Data Computers in order to actually stall the airplane. Of course this is easy to do, and we do it, in the simulator during training. However, in the real airplane you would never do such a thing and I wouldn't want to fly with someone that did. Airbus's operate in the same fashion with their envelope protection systems (...and is, coincidentally enough, partly what failed in the Air France 447 accident).

Only to an extent. There is a difference here that I think needs cleared up. There is a difference between "automation (e.g. Autothrottles, AutoPilot Modes) " and "protection systems (Angle of Attack Protection, Bank Limiters, LSAS, etc...)".While hand-flying will consist of automation being disabled (in the real world), you will never disengage the protection systems (i.e. flight envelope protection). For example, in order to do our initial training in the Dassault Falcon 7X you have to actually disable (actively fail) 2 of the 3 Air Data Computers in order to actually stall the airplane. Of course this is easy to do, and we do it, in the simulator during training. However, in the real airplane you would never do such a thing and I wouldn't want to fly with someone that did. Airbus's operate in the same fashion with their envelope protection systems (...and is, coincidentally enough, partly what failed in the Air France 447 accident).

I understand and agree with what you said as it is fact. I need to read the manual, because I tried to do a low approach, but when I pushed the throttles forward the thrust limiter kicked in and I had insufficient power to do it safely, so I was confused and thought, "that can't be right."